What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of the verb pouvoir (to be able to) and être (to be), literally meaning 'can be'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, such as Quebec, you may encounter the informal expression peut-être ben to convey a casual sense of perhaps.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add que after peut-être to create peut-être que, which functions as a conjunction to introduce a clause, much like 'maybe that' in English. Additionally, the informal expression peut-être que oui, peut-être que non can be used to mean 'maybe yes, maybe no'.
How do you pronounce it?
/pø.t‿ɛtʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse peut-être with peut être. While peut-être (with a hyphen) is the adverb meaning 'perhaps', peut être (without a hyphen) is the conjugated verb phrase meaning 'can be'.
Did you know?
- In highly formal or literary French, peut-être is often placed after the verb, which triggers a mandatory inversion of the subject and verb in the sentence.
- The French language uses peut-être as a polite way to decline an invitation or express doubt without using a direct 'no', which can be seen as too blunt in French social etiquette.
- Similar to French, Catalan uses the phrase potser to mean 'perhaps', mirroring the 'can be' construction.
Examples in context
- Je peux peut-être aider.Perhaps I can help.Tatoeba #11932015 by lbdx, translation #3393270 by CK
- Peut-être en fais-tu trop.Perhaps you're trying too hard.Tatoeba #9829952 by Micsmithel, translation #3477800 by CK
- Peut-être me suis-je trompé.Perhaps I was wrong.Tatoeba #467879 by Bruno, translation #3402558 by CK
- Peut-être irai-je au cinéma ce soir.Perhaps I will go to the cinema tonight.
- Peut-être que oui, peut-être que non, je ne sais pas encore.Perhaps yes, perhaps no, I don't know yet.
- Peut-être crois-tu en lui, mais moi, je ne suis pas certain.Perhaps you believe in him, but I am not certain.
- Peut-être avons-nous besoin de plus de temps pour prendre une décision.Perhaps we need more time to make a decision.
- Peut-être que oui, peut-être que non, cela dépendra de la situation.Perhaps yes, perhaps no, it will depend on the situation.
- 153 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are discussing their plans for the weekend.
- ManonOn va au cinéma samedi ?Are we going to the cinema on Saturday?
- LucasPeut-être, je dois vérifier mon emploi du temps.Perhaps, I have to check my schedule.
- ManonTu me diras ça demain ?Will you tell me tomorrow?
- LucasOui, je t'appelle demain matin.Yes, I will call you tomorrow morning.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry peut-être, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries peut-être, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
